The present invention relates to a gauge, and more particularly, to a gauge that is easily installable to an automobile through its on board diagnostic system, has a monitor that is removeably attachable to the automobile, and may display numerous operating conditions formatted in an intuitive format which is customizable.
A gauge is standard component on every vehicle sold in the United States. For example, a gauge that is standard on every automobile is a speedometer and an odometer. These gauges are installed by the manufacturer of the automobile at the time of manufacture. Another standard gauge of every automobile is a Fuel level indicator. This gauge also is installed by the manufacturer at the time of manufacture. In other cases, the manufacturer may place temperature or pressure sensor in the engine compartment to determine when the coolant temperature is too high or the oil pressure is dangerously low. For all gauges that are standard with the automobile, the manufacturer may hardwire a sensor for a relevant operating condition of the automobile to be sensed. These gauges are standard in the sense that they are installed in every vehicle regardless of the particular function of the automobile (e.g., towing) or taste of the driver (e.g., performance). For example, an automobile (e.g., heavy duty truck, recreational vehicle, sports utility vehicle, light duty truck, minivans, etc.) may primarily be used for towing and yet the automobile would only be equipped with standard gauges installed by the automobile manufacturer such as a speedometer, rpm gauge, and odometer even though other gauges would be beneficial for safety reasons.
Frequently, many drivers who use their automobiles for towing would add additional gauges to the standard gauges such that the automobile may be safer to drive during towing. For example, they may add gauges for engine vacuum and transmission temperature. Accordingly, these additional gauges must be hard wired to the respective automobile component which may be difficult even for an expert and unattractive. Moreover, as the numbers of additional gauges are installed, the difficulty of the installation increases as well as its unattractiveness because of the need for additional wires and modifications to the vehicle. Simply put, frequently, adding additional gauges above the standard gauges that are installed by the manufacturer is cumbersome and messy, and drivers are hesitant to add additional gauges to the automobile even though it may be safer to do so such as in the towing situation above.
Furthermore, the standard gauges are geared to general use of the automobile, and these gauges are not function specific or suited to a particular taste of a driver. For example, as stated above, the automobile may primarily be used for towing (i.e., function of the automobile) but gauges useful to make the towing automobile safer are not installed by the manufacturer. Rather, only general gauges are installed by the manufacturer such as speedometer, odometer and rpm gauges. In another example, the automobile may be driven by an automobile enthusiast, yet only general gauges are installed on the automobile. In this regard, the driver may desire to have gauges (e.g., elapsed time, torque output and braking distance) related to the performance of the vehicle added to the automobile. Simply put, automobiles are not manufactured according to the “environment” in which the automobile would most probably be used in. Gauges useful during towing are not installed, gauges pertaining to the performance of the automobile are not installed, and etc.
Third party gauges may be installed per the function of the automobile or taste of the driver but frequently drivers desire to install two or more gauges to display the selected operating conditions of the vehicle. This may create a difficult installation and an unattractive interior. Simply put, gauges on the market today are not geared toward the function of the automobile or the taste of the driver. Rather, third party gauges must be selected, combined, mixed and matched to provide a set of gauges suited to the function of the automobile or taste of the driver.
Moreover, the gauges that are typically being sold are fixed and are not customizable per the individual taste of the driver or function of the automobile. As stated above, gauges useful for towing may be different compared to gauges to determine the performance of the automobile. In this regard, the gauges sold today are not customizable such that only operating conditions of the vehicle useful for towing are displayed on a single gauge when the automobile is being used for towing and operating conditions related to the performance of the automobile are displayed on the gauge when the driver desires to display such operating conditions. For example, a third party temperature gauge may only read the temperature of the component to which the gauge is hard wired to such as the coolant temperature. In this regard, the coolant temperature gauge only displays the temperature of the coolant and does not display other operating conditions of the automobile. Simply put, these gauges are not customizable to a particular taste of a driver or function of the automobile.
The customizability of the gauge is especially desirable especially when many vehicles are multi purpose vehicles. For example, a light duty truck may be used for towing a jet ski, and in this regard, operating conditions of the automobile related to towing should be displayed on a gauge; and, simultaneously, the light duty truck may be modified to be a high performance truck, and in this regard, the driver may desire to have operating conditions of the automobile related to performance displayed on the same gauge. In other words, the driver while towing the jet ski would desire to have operating conditions related to towing displayed, and thereafter, after the jet ski is detached from the truck, would desire to have operating conditions of the automobile related to performance displayed on the same gauge.
In sum, first, the gauges in the market are difficult to install, and as the number of gauges installed on the automobile increases, the difficulty of installing the gauges increases as well as the unattractiveness of the installed gauges. In this regard, it would be beneficial to provide a gauge that is easy, quick and clean to install. Moreover, if the gauge is easy to install such that anyone could install it, then drivers who use their automobiles for towing would be more apt to install the gauge, instead of being hesitant to install the gauge because of the difficulty of installing the gauge. In this regard, the streets would become a safer place. Second, the gauges in the market today are not geared to a particular function of the automobile or taste of the driver. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a gauge that is directed toward a particular function of the automobile such as towing or taste of the driver (i.e., driver that is an automobile enthusiast). Third, gauges sold in the market today are not customizable per the function of the automobile nor the taste of the driver. In this regard, it would be beneficial to provide a single gauge that may be customized according to the function of the automobile or the taste of the driver.